Category Archives: Rests of Europe

Incredibly Loud and Extremely Close by Jonathan Safran Foer – Packed with bits of sentiments and details both in words and in visuals, this novel earns one of the best child narrators I’ve ever read.In Rainbow by Radiohead – Music that takes you in a trance and lyrics that will rip your hearts apart. Seriously, Radiohead albums should have a forewarning: Do not listen when depressed… or driving on the road at night.Almost Famous – Very interesting that this, well, very interesting life journey is loosely based on the director’s (Cameron Crowe) teenage years. One of the top music-related movies to date.

I was tagged by Rommel of The Sophomore Slump to list the 5 places I’d like to go back to. I am listing just that. Not exactly the best destinations, but 5 places that I’ve been to and wish to go back to. To wander once more. To explore more and hit the areas I wish I knew then. Places I wish I had more time to be in. Trips where I wish I used my times there better. Places I’ve been dreaming about of returning. 5 places I wouldn’t at all mind going for seconds.

SEVILLA, SPAIN

The Alcazar alone is enough reason to go back Seville. The Cathedral, La Giralda, the palace, the watchtower “Torre de Oro”, the bullring, all in walking distance are icing on the cake. I will never forget the time when I just walked in the neighborhood by myself very early in the morning. For no apparent reason other than just wandering around and soaking in the moment.

CAPRI, ITALY

Not that I didn’t have a great experience on our trip here per se. I did. It was adventurous actually. We explore a secret excursion that not many tourists know about. I just wish I knew how awesome the grotto really is. When I was here, I was with two friends who didn’t want to spend money to go on the boat that takes people to the Blue Grotto. Not only that, our time was not on our side either. I wish I was more pushy. :D I wish to go back here for the Blue Grotto. Then have more to see its pristine water, the picturesque houses, the boats, and the overlooking view once again.

OKINAWA, JAPAN

I was excited to go to Japan for its unique culture. Although separated from the mainland, I’d still definitely go back to Okinawa, Japan to immerse once more of the culture, visit the amazing places, witness the awesome events and meet the people again and again. I wouldn’t even mind having the same experiences all over. ;) Okinawa provided me so many “first” travel experiences.

BOHOL, PHILIPPINES

There is just so much things to see and do in Bohol. So many of it so define the culture and beauty of the Philippines. I highly suggest the water tours which include dolphin watching, snorkelling, and the most beautiful spots ever, Virgin Island.

PARIS, FRANCE

It is loved by many for good reasons. I got lost here from wandering around too much. :) Paris is Paris. I blame it solely on Paris.

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How well are you with crowds? When it comes to just going to travel destinations, I don’t like crowds. During holidays, I try to usually go hiking or just stay away from popular sites. But when it comes to events, I can deal with crowds.

I like capturing crowds. Seeing my pictures results, it’s nice to examine and identify each facial expressions and what each person is doing.

– Sea World [San Diego, California] –

Some of crowd pics have that one or two distinctive, noticeable person/s that stick out.

– Running of the Bull [Jerez, Spain] –
This is where I almost lost my family jewel from getting rammed by the bull!

Perhaps the biggest crowd I’ve ever been with was during the Tug of War in Okinawa, Japan. It has a crazy excessive total of 270,000 participants!

– 277,000! people participated in pulling this giant rope that weighs over 40 tons and extends over 650 feet –

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I badly wish to go back to Europe. But I can’t complain as much. Not only that I’ve been very blessed to have gone there, the place I’m currently in ain’t too shabby for my travel fix. Plus, it really isn’t hard to cross-culture here in California.

Villas – Design of Getty Villa {Bottom) is inspired by The Villa of Papyri in Herculaneum (Top).

I really enjoyed the neat idea I came up with when I Merge: Herculanem and Getty Villa. And so, I tweak it a bit for my entry of Near and Far. The images in this post are places in California where you can imagine or reminisce different locations in Europe. Not what the challenge is looking for, but I’ve been known as a notorious WPC rule-breaker.

Here is Loni. Check out her Yosemite posts. Check out her Venice post. Check out her Mud Run post. Check out the one where she got on TV. Check out her Anniversary post and the different places her and her husband have gone to. Check out her Academy post. Check out food, places of mainly California, and her wide-eye impressive photographs. My favorite however is her 100th post where she showed her “Loni Exhibit”, These are some of my favorite things. Go ahead and Check out how Loni Found Herself.

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Long overdue entry to two Weekly Photo Challenges. I love the challenge because it urges bloggers to show photos of themselves to their entries. So I just collected all my tagged Facebook group pictures…

Naples, Italy – One of us was retiring but he didn’t get a proper farewell dinner from his company. And so we gave him one. We even gave him a plague with collage pictures of his stay in Italy. I think it’s much much better to have it with friends than co-workers.

Venice, Italy – The perfect time to go to Venice is during the Carnivale celebration. To ride a gondola is a MUST for every visitors. You might as well take advantage of it when you are just visiting it.

Amsterdam – Bikes are not the only hype in Amsterdam, baby strollers of visitors as well. *grin*

St. Francis Basilica in Asissi – Traveling with big group can still make small trips memorable.

Ferrari Museum in Maranello, Italy -After Venice, we headed to Maranello for some Ferrrari zeal and adrenaline rush.

This is coming back from our trip to Idelweiss in Germany. (A separate trip from Ramsteinn)

Brazil, South Africa, Asia, Europe, England, Japan, Mozambique, Bolivia, Rwanda, and a whole lot more. 3rdCultureChildren is not just a travel blog, it is full of heart, generosity, and kindness. My favorite is this unnoticed post with highly impressive travel images and heartwarming messages, “The World We Live In” has called: places we’ve discovered… Enjoy the sights, follow their experiences and meet their acquaintances.

Not all are listed per country or destinations. The lists with seasons and legs are in conjunctions with exactly where I had been. For example, TAR had been to Germany 7 times with 5 Pit Stops. I listed 3 Seasons with 2 Pit Stops. Also, I’ve been to other places as well such as Japan, Singapore, Las Vegas, Mississippi, Switzerland, Kuwait, New Orleans and Austria. Future posts noted and seen here are Gondola in Venice, The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Santa Monica Pier, San Francisco and Las Vegas.

My golly wow. It took me a long time to complete this post. Browsing through my blog, archiving my pictures, linking my posts and wikipedia-ing all the seasons of the Amazing Race. Again! Great ideas are always are just hard to execute. What an amazing race posting this, and an amazing journey I’d been in.

I wish I could be in this guy’s luggage every time he visits one country to another. See the world, follow Andrew Ameit’s footsteps and read on his experience, lessons and tips. Come along with him to Africa, Europe and Asia, to where he is currently enjoying his stay.

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Dialed down to creative dryness, pushing to squeeze in a blog entry and just plain slack-ness, I’ll just upload pictures, have a Kit-kat and viola! I shared.

“A picture can paint a thousand words.” Sure, sure. But when it comes to this featured blog, it needn’t be. A single beautifully captured picture combined with few but chock full of words will do just fine. For my next …

Featured Blog

Googsy’s Photography is full of surprises. Visit its homepage and you’ll be welcomed with glimpses of images that are not easy to turn away from. Once you do get magnetized by the prodding and inviting pictures, it opens a back-door interpretation from what you see on the front. The words overflows with dazzling volume that will have you amazed, impressed, intrigued and at times, entertained, at least I do.

Take a look and open the surprises, and see what you might get.

For my own blog entry, here is Germany …

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Absolutely! Driving to the destination is part of traveling. It’s the adults version of a kid looking out the window. Well, it’s not as convenient with the engine revving, finding a comfortable seating position and the high tendency of dozing off but it’s the point your mind wander most while anticipating the trip.

Pacific Gulf Coast, Baguio, the winter in Florence, I may not find our Germany destinations not the pie in the sky but I think Germany gets my vote for the best outside-the-window travel views.

I love the seeing their houses too. Somehow, the houses have qualities that are rather distinctively German than as European in general.

Like once said, traveling isn’t just the tourist spot in itself but also the journey. Listening to music as the car drives, pulling over the rest stops, rubbernecking the attractive sceneries and all the fine things in the path that leads to the destination. To me, traveling in group makes the long drive enduring. Spotting scenes can turn into conversations. Eating is more fun with company (especially packing our own rice and meal, picnicking in parking areas). And, listening to tunes can turn into sing-alongs.

Bon Voyage. Have a fun trip!

Question: What, in your experience, do you think has the best road views?